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NITED STATES SUSAN T. BURKHEAD, OF NEW BE RNE, NORTH CAROLINA.

CORSET.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 309,760, dated December 23, 1884-.

Application filed January 31, 1883.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, SUSAN T. BURKHEAD, of New Berne, county of Craven, North Carolina, have invented a new and Improved (Jorset, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates tothat class of corsets made in three sections, and has for its object to provide a corset which will not be so destructive to ladies dresses as those in common use, and one which will not require a corsetcover to be worn with it; and to this end my invention consists in providing a corset united by lacings which are located just behind the arms, and are covered by a cloth shield or fly stitched at one side and free at the other, all as will be hereinafter fully described and set forth.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which Figure 1 illustrates one of my new and improved corsets as it appears when in place upon the body, and Fig. 2 is a cross-section through line or x.

The corset is composed of the side sections, a a, which are of more than ordinary width, and two back sections, 1), which are narrower than common, so that the lacings d d come a little behind the arms of the wearer, as clearly illustrated in the drawings.

f is a quilted cloth shield or fly, made, preferably, of the same material as the outside of the corset, and stitched to the back near and along one of the sections 1), near its side edges, so as to lap over the lacings, as shown, and form a protecting-shield. \Vhere the lacings come under the arm of the wearer or at the back, the movement of the dress due to the movement of the arms and body causes the dress to constantly draw over the lacings and to be quickly worn through at these points; but when made as above described it will be seen that this difficulty is to a great extent (Model) overcome, since the lacings come at a part of the body where the dress is subject to very little movement from the movement of the arms or body, and hence the wear of the corset upon the dress will be greatly decreased, and the shields f f, overlapping the lacings, wholly protect the dress from the lacings and stays of the corset. One grand object gained by my invention is a corset by the use of which a corset-cover, so called, can be entirely dispensed with. The said cover is chiefly used at the South, or in warm weather, when ladies wear thin dresses, and is indispensable with any corset now in use that I know of. If such cover were not used, the dress would become soiled from the rust produced by the action of perspiration on the metallic parts of the corset also, said parts would certainly press into and wear the dress; also, said parts would plainly show through the dress. In my corset all this is obviated. The lacings are placed where there is the slightest chance for rough wear. They are also carefully covered by a smooth and flexible shield or fly.

I am aware that corsets have been made in several parts with lacings in front or rear or at the sides; also, that flaps have been used to cover the means for connecting these several parts.

Having described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- As a new article of manufacture, the withindescribed corset, united by lacings d, which are located just behind the arms, and are covered by the cloth shield or fly f, stitched along one side and free at the other, whereby a dress-protecting corset is produced and the necessity of a corset-cover obviated, all as described and set forth.

SUSAN T. BURKHEAD.

Witnesses:

Gno. L. WADSWORTH, ALEXR. MILLER. 

